Least Sandpipers

Maria and I went to Ludington last Sunday and stopped by the best birding spot for shorebirds in that area, this being the sewage treatment plant. It actually isn't as bad as it sounds as the two lagoons are relatively odor-free (not so for the Muskegon Wastewater ponds). There are two ponds-lagoons in Ludington and also a lovely natural marsh just to the west.

We walked around the west lagoon and saw a few immature palm warblers and dozens of barn and tree swallows and thought that was it until we started back down the center dike which divided the two ponds. But then we noticed Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs and got good looks at them as they leisurely poked about, their long, long yellow legs highlighted by the eastern sun. They didn't spook and were very cooperative. We did agonize some over which Yellowlegs they were, but finally decided we saw both. Still, this isn't as easy as it seems. Slowly, slowly, after hours in the field and hours perusing various field guides, one gets better. The bill of the Greater can be ever so slightly upturned, and we saw that on a couple of them. These are good-sized shorebirds and easier both to see and sort out than the smaller sandpipers, a group of shorebirds that the field guides call "peeps" and which belong to the genus Calidris.

Many shorebirds migrate through the middle of the continent this time of year from their breeding grounds in far northern Canada to their wintering grounds in the southern US or South America. So there is a window of time to see them as they migrate when they stop to feed and rest. Still, in September the peeps are in fall adult, juvenile or molting plumages which generally means they are all brownish-grey on top and whitish-brown below, similar in size and bill length, with about six to eight different species possible in Michigan. They all probe for food at the water's edge. Of course, as one becomes a more skilled birder, separating them out and identifying them becomes easier. At Muskegon, they spook if one approaches too closely.

BUT, at Ludington, they seemed not to mind human proximity, and we got excellent close-up views of the Least Sandpiper which happens to be the only small peep to NOT have black legs. We easily saw yellowish-green legs, and therefore could positively ID these birds as Least Sandpipers. We were able to slowly walk right on by a couple of them, at a distance of perhaps 6 feet. It is always a thrill to see a bird so well and so easily. The sky was blue with large white clouds; there was a cool breeze with just enough warmth from the sun and no annoying bugs (which is often an issue at Muskegon). A nice day to be outside looking for birds.

We also saw a Solitary Sandpiper, not quite so close, but good enough to see its eye-ring. As, as it flew off, Maria spotted the very distinctly black and white barred outer tail-feathers. Perfect!

Back home at their lake later that day and the next morning, we saw a Bald Eagle and Great Blue Heron, both flying about the lake. And, with a noisy clattering as it flew to the suet feeder, a Pileated Woodpecker showed up periodically. This bird is always amazing to see: it has an all-black back with broad shoulders, a ridiculously skinny neck and a showy head with the sides (cheeks) striped black and white, and with a bright red crest-crown. As the bird would maneuver on the tree, the early morning sun lit the red crest so that it almost seemed to glow! This bird is nearly twice the size of bluejays and the other woodpeckers so generally other birds do not approach too closely while the Pileateds feed. They do begin vocalizing though if the Pileateds take too long. Maria and Richard have a perfect setup for observing bird behavior, in addition, of course, to the simple pleasures of watching so many species come and go from their several feeders.